Tech Game Attendance Ranked #2 in the Nation

Texas Tech men's basketball coach Bob Knight met his goal of raising interest in the program, but Knight didn't reach the school's goal of leading the nation in combined average attendance at men's and women's games. Figures gathered by the Associated Press show that Tech's combined attendance was 26,287.

That's a big jump from the previous year, but it was still over 2,000 fans behind Tennessee. Tennessee's total was 28,525. Tech Athletic Director Gerald Myers said the figures reflect the support basketball has on campus, among alumni, and within the community.

Lady Raiders Coach Marsha Sharp says that's not bad, and the higher numbers make a statement for Tech programs, the community, and all of West Texas. In his first season at Tech, Knight took a team that went 9 - 21 before he arrived and guided it to a 23 - 9 finish, earning the Red Raiders an invitation to the NCAA tournament. Sharp's team went 20 - 12 in her 20th season.